Flexible Pixel Element and Signal Distribution Means

1. A discrete flexible pixel element device, comprising: a pixel electronics assembly, comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) having on-board pixel element electronics including at least one light-emitting pixel elements, at least one pixel element driver means for operatively driving said light-emitting pixel elements and at least one driver control means for operatively controlling said pixel element driver means; a power and signal distribution means for operatively distributing operating power, image data and control signals to said light-emitting pixel elements, said pixel element driver means and said driver control means; at least one input flexible cable means having an input power and signal conductor for distributing input operating power, image data and control signals to pixel electronics unit; and, at least one output flexible cable means having an output power and signal conductor for distributing output operating power, image data and control signals to a like discrete flexible pixel element device, wherein said discrete flexible pixel element device can be conjoined interchangeably in series-connection with a plurality of like discrete flexible pixel element devices, to embody a flexible pixel string.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel electronics assembly comprises surface-mount technology and solid-state integrated-circuit technology.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one light-emitting pixel elements, the at least one pixel element drivers and the at least one driver control means are surface mount technology and solid-state integrated-circuit technology.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-emitting pixel is an LED and the at least one pixel element driver is a constant-current LED driver.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel electronics assembly receives operating power from a common source power bus or rail.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel electronics assembly comprises DC-to-DC step-down voltage conversion and current-limiting circuits.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein said at least one light-emitting pixel elements comprise a plurality of light-emitting pixel elements of various colors.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of light-emitting pixel elements of various colors comprise colored LEDs.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the various colors are selected from among red, green, blue, cyan, magenta and yellow.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one pixel element driver means comprises a single on-board multi-channel 3-channel constant-current LED driver device with pulse-width-modulated (PWM) control means for driving per channel a plurality of red LEDs, per channel a plurality of green LEDs, and per channel a plurality of blue LEDs.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one pixel element driver means comprises two on-board multi-channel 3-channel constant-current LED driver devices with pulse-width-modulated (PWM) control means for driving per channel a plurality of red LEDs, per channel a plurality of green LEDs, per channel a plurality of blue LEDs, per channel a plurality of cyan LEDs, per channel a plurality of magenta LEDs, and per channel a plurality of yellow LEDs.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one pixel element driver means comprises a plurality of on-board multi-channel constant-current LED driver devices for driving per channel a plurality of light-emitting pixel elements of various colors.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one pixel element driver means comprises a single on-board plural-channel constant-current LED driver device for driving per plural channel a plurality of light-emitting pixel elements of various colors.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the input power and signal conductor comprises at least one input power conductor and at least four input signal conductors.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the output power and signal conductors comprises at least one output power conductor and at least four output signal conductors.

16. The input flexible cable means and output flexible cable means of claim 1 , wherein said output flexible cable means of at least a first discrete flexible pixel element device and said input flexible cable means of at least a second discrete flexible pixel element device may be operatively and interchangeably conjoined in plural series-connection to embody a flexible pixel string.

17. The power and signal distribution means of claim 1 , comprising at least two discrete flexible pixel element devices conjoined in series-connection by at least one input flexible cable means and at least one output flexible cable means.

18. The power and signal distribution means of claim 1 , comprising at least two discrete flexible pixel element devices operatively conjoined in series-connection having at least five power and signal conductors that operatively transmit operating power, image data and control signals from a first discrete flexible pixel element device to a second discrete flexible pixel element device in series transmission thereof.

19. A discrete flexible pixel element, comprising: a non-unique, non-addressed self-contained unit comprising a pixel electronics unit; a single input flexible cable means; a single output flexible cable means; an input flexible cable connector means having power and signal conductor terminals and fitment features to operatively to conjoin with an output flexible cable connector means of a preceding upstream discrete flexible pixel element in series-connection; an output flexible cable connector means having power and signal conductor terminal contacts and fitment features to operatively to conjoin with an input flexible cable connector means of a following downstream discrete flexible pixel element in series-connection; and, power and signal distribution means operatively to receive transmission of operating, power, image data and control signals from a preceding upstream discrete flexible pixel element in series-connection via said input flexible cable means and operatively to transmit operating power, image data and control signals to a following downstream discrete flexible pixel element in series-connection via said output flexible cable means; wherein said discrete flexible pixel element is fully interchangeable with any other like discrete flexible pixel element.